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Washington State Voters Support Taxing and Regulating Marijuana

A new poll released by Survey USA found that 54% of Washington voters support taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol, and selling the natural plant in state-run liquor stores. When asked broadly if voters “think legalizing marijuana is a good idea,” support was even higher at 56%.

Last month two Washington state legislators submitted a bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. A few days later Seattle Mayor-elect Mike McGinn came out publicly in support of ending marijuana prohibition in The Evergreen State.

A bill more likely to pass is the decriminalization bill introduced last year, which would turn possession of small amounts of marijuana into an infraction similar to a speeding ticket. The Washington State Bar Association has endorsed both bills.

Let’s no jump to the first bill and say it should be passed based on regulation and taxes. I also feel that Cannabis and liquor should not but distrubited through the same outlet. However, this is not just about smokeable cannabis!
What happened to commercial hemp. Could hemp in general be the next industrial future for the US and help with global warming at the same time. Let’s keep the conversation going. “Legalize Hemp” in all forms. It is a plant and humans should be in control of what they injest for medicine or recreation. Write a sensable bill that is a WIN WIN for all people that want to become involved not just a win to government.

in regards to the decriminalization bill, ‘turning possession of small amounts of marijuana into an infraction similar to a speeding ticket. ‘ , really? decrim seems to me that i should be able to just walk away with my shit in tact. fuck these baby steps, all this shit is silly. fuck medicinal with all its taxes and shit, i’m with jack herer, just fucking legalize it, don’t make me pay a red cent on this herb and leave me the fuck alone.

Kathy,
I totally agree about the Hemp issue. However, let’s get something in and fix it later if we need to. I know people don’t like this approach but you need to seize the opportunity when presented.

By the by, i changed over to a Hemp diet 7 months ago. Just got my blood work back, the dr was amazed at how healthy I was. BP 110.70. Perfect Health.

I know people don’t like this approach but you need to seize the opportunity when presented.

Yeah I agree. I’ve seen a lot of internal bickering among reformers lately about perhaps not supporting certain measures because of this or that provision. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the important thing here is putting an end to marijuana prohibition — once we break down that wall, we can start to get into the nitty gritty analysis regarding the best way to regulate and monitor a legal cannabis market.

My diet consists of mostly, hemp, cannabis, and Yerba Mate.

Hey I have a package of Yerba Mate that my girlfriend got me while she was in Argentina. I haven’t tried any yet though. What’s it like, just a mild caffeine-like stimulant? Just curious.

Putting an end to Prohibition isn’t going to happen Rhayader if marijuana is still illegal under Federal law.

Have research papers fallen off the radar here Kurt? Bruce was very good at it and it’s missed. These are valuable tools for a person that’s going to apply for medical marijuana and the “condition” is not listed on the states approval list. Medical marijuana patients are having to argue their case in order to qualify. The more information, whether abstract articles or not, are going to help these people.

Cannabis has no business being sold by state run liquor stores. That is a plan by the state for the state. Is the state going to take over every cannabis plant and every single person selling it? Is the state going to become a police state just to keep control of legal cannabis? Just let people grow for themselves and let them be free. What about all the cannabis users that are already in jail or prison, don’t they deserve to be free? We have so far to go, and we need to get there as fast as possible.

I believe that at this point it will be a foot race between the west coast states that will finish this November. My money’s on Washington because that’s where I live, but in practical terms I think California is the current leader .

Putting an end to Prohibition isn’t going to happen Rhayader if marijuana is still illegal under Federal law.

Uhhh, ok. So I take it you think that all state ballot measures and assembly bills are a waste of time? Ending federal prohibition would be great, sure. That’s what we all want in the end. But shouldn’t we be taking what we can get, when we can get it? Doesn’t that help crumble the wall of prohibition inertia and public sentiment more effectively than waiting around for the feds to wake up would?

These laws don’t exist in a vacuum folks. Medical marijuana laws, decriminalization bills, sentence reductions, etc etc — it all matters, and it all helps people realize that our societal cohesion is not dependent on something as arbitrary and capricious as marijuana prohibition.

“Is the state going to take over every cannabis plant and every single person selling it? Is the state going to become a police state just to keep control of legal cannabis? Just let people grow for themselves and let them be free.”

Ok, here’s the deal. Marijuana should be fine grown from home just like beer and wine, but the state has a huge potential amount of money to make from selling marijuana like alcohol. And they will. The fact is that barring marijuana from pre-established stores is just as silly as it is unlikely.

We’re in the early years of marijuana legalization and regulation. I highly suspect that even if laws are passed banning personal growth, they won’t be very well enforced, if at all.

Amazing! I’m a San Diegan about to move to Washington because of the cost of living in San Diego, low and behold not only is Seattle’s Mayor-Elect pro cannabis but their city attorney is no longer going to prosecute possession arrests. I thought I was going to miss out on the revolution by moving out of CA. Ha ha ha, looks like we’re winning on all fronts.

i think that we should just be happy to be able to get what we all like where ever that it is for sale .. i dont care if i have to go to the police department and buy there pot i just want to smoke in peace!! thanks to you MPP we have turned the page on this issue..

im ok with the decriminalizing marijuana, but i think it would be much better if it was just straight up legalized. for one, it has good medical purposes; another reason is that its good for making rope, clothes,fuel. its good for so many reasons and this country could be making alot more money with it being legal than decriminalized or illegal.

I will not be happy with any of it till I can go in any walmart in any state and buy a pack of buds in the express lane, or grow my own at home, with out fear of arrest, or prosecution.
I live in Utah, and I can tell you that the state run stores suck balls.
3.2 % beer is what we get. you can nto go buy a bottle of wine in your local grocer. Its all state run, outside of the weak ass beer. Taxes? holy sheep shit! You want to talk about taxes? for the same brand beer in the state owned store vs the piss water version in the grocery store its nearly double the price for the same volume. Selling it a state run store is a start, its better than what we have now, but it is not a victory.
Vote it in, make it happen, then work to change it to make it better and brighter for the future.

I was pulled over in 2008 in Washington in my home county of Clallam on the Olympic Peninsula. I had 12grams of buds. This wasn’t any trouble. Was fully dropped. I had a clean record prior, which played into the final ruling. Very lackadaisical about anything under 48grams around here. I pray for the day though, when I can smoke a joint in the park with my friends and never have to look over my shoulder… Tell your friends to vote, keep pushing. “Their” eyes are open.

I emailed Chris Hurst also and got the same responses about Federal Law, etc.
What our legislators don’t understand is that they are supporting a law that used racist ideology as its basis of enactment. If they would just research the history of it then perhaps some change could happen as I’m confident none of our representatives would want to be associated with it.
Harry Anslinger was the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in the 30’s and the driving force behind Marijuana prohibition, helped by others such as William Randolph Hearst. Here’s one of an endless number of quotes from him.

“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.”

It gets worse folks. I wish the Times or Komo news could do a program on the history of Marijuana prohibition. What I suggest is that we all support organizations like NORML, MPP, and locally Sensible Washington with our donations and efforts. Maybe buy some ad time on TV to educate the public exposing the facts?

The funny thing is I don’t even smoke anymore due to my job but would like to know that when I retire I can enjoy a favorite pastime without breaking the law. When I saw these recent bills and heard of the upcoming initiative it prompted me to get active rather than just stand by and let things happen on their own. Hopefully things will change, it’s looking good and thanks to all the brave legislators who are stepping up and speaking out!

ive been smoking pot for a total of 10 years and i would love for it to be legalized. but i do not wish for the herb to be abused many teenagers in tumwater treat it like tweak and its annoying .
can someone please tell these kids u dont have to spend 200$ a day on it just to be “popular” ,”cool”, or “in” i use it maybe once to twice every two weeks but its just for when im kikin it with my friends and i believe that its the way it should be smoke sitting in a circle and laughing at things that really arent that funny … can any body else here relate to that?

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The opinions expressed by our viewers and posters do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Marijuana Policy Project. These views are those of their individual authors alone. MPP does not condone or support the illegal use of marijuana. We do encourage open and frank discussion, but if a comment has been posted that is in some way significantly inappropriate, please email us at [email protected] to report it. Thank you, and we're looking forward to what you think!

"The amount of money and of legal energy being given to prosecute hundreds of thousands of Americans who are caught with a few ounces of marijuana in their jeans simply makes no sense - the kindest way to put it. A sterner way to put it is that it is an outrage, an imposition on basic civil liberties and on the reasonable expenditure of social energy."
Author William F. Buckley, Jr., The Albuquerque Journal, June 9, 1993

"Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use."
Former President Jimmy Carter, message to Congress, August 2, 1977

"Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care. ... It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record."
DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young, Ruling in the matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition, September 6, 1988